No More
by Not A Droid
Summary: An alternative ending to the episode "Lauren" In this version, Emily Prentiss will not let Doyle escape. And when it's over, there one member of her team who rides with her in the ambulance.


_Disclaimer: I do not own the show, the episodes or the characters of Criminal Minds_

_A/N: This is another of "this isn't the way it happened, but it's how it should've" fics. When I watched the episode "Lauren" I thought Doyle was dead at the end. My girlfriend watched it on her DVR and confirmed he's gone. So, I thought I should fix that in this fic. This takes place in the same universe as my Hotch/Garcia romance, The Laughter and the Tears.

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_No more giants_  
_ Waging war._  
_ Can't we just pursue out lives_  
_ With out children and our wives?_  
_ 'Till that happy day arrives,_  
_ How do you ignore_  
_ All the witches,_  
_ All the curses,_  
_ All the wolves, all the lies,_  
_ The false hopes, the goodbyes,_  
_ The reverses,_  
_ All the wondering what even worse is _  
_ Still in store?_ (_from the song, No More from the musical Into the Woods_)

Emily lay there, with the piece of wood in her chest. She was so tired. It was over now, all the struggle, all the pain. It was just over, and now she could rest. She was dying and she knew it. But Declan was safe from his father and his father's life. Her team was safe. Her mother was safely in Europe. Doyle was dead.

Then who was that she heard moving? Her team?

"Sorry love," Doyle said as he got up. "I've got to go. I'm going to find Declan."

"No you won't." Emily said weakly.

Doyle stood over her, sneering, "You better hope I can. Or I will kill your team."

With that, Emily's eyes snapped open. She looked at Doyle with hate-filled eyes. "No you won't." Adrenline surged in her and she kicked up, connecting with Doyle's groin. His eyes bulged with pain.

Emily then swung her legs around and knocked his legs from underneath him. "I told you if you went after my team, I would end you." she said between clenched teeth. She rolled on top of him. "Did you think I was bluffing?"

"You don't have it in you." Doyle said, as his hands reached up to grab her throat. She grabbed on of his outstretched arms and forced it down on his throat like a blunt instrument.

"Lauren didn't have it in her to kill you. I do." She lifted him up and flung him across the room "You will never hurt." She flung herself on him. "Another person." She hit him in the nose so hard, she caused one of his nasal bones to lodge into his brain, killing him. "Ever again." She let go of him and he crumpled to the ground.

"My promise to God." Those were the last words she heard before she collapsed. Derek Morgan and the tactical team burst into the room moments later.

They brought Emily out in a stretcher. Morgan was surprised to see Reid there by the ambulance.

"What are you doing here?" he asked

"How is she?" Reid said, looking at Emily's motionless body.

"She's still breathing, but she's not responsive. I'm going with her in the ambulance."

"No. I am."

"Reid..."

"I've got this!" the shock of Reid's defiant tone and the look of anger in his eyes made Morgan back down.

"I'm sorry. Go ahead. I'll meet you at the hospital."

In the ambulance, Reid held Emily's hand.

"Don't die Emily," he said. "Please don't die, not now. We need you. I ...I need you. I ...if you can hear me, just squeeze my hand." Reid squeezed his eyes shut. A 187 IQ and eidetic memory were useful in many ways, but they didn't help Reid right now. Right now, for all his brain power, he could do nothing for Emily.

He did, however, remember a conversation they had all had in the bullpen. It was about faith and proof of the divine.

"It can't be done," Reid said.

"You're wrong, Dr. Reid," Ashley Seaver said.

"Don't try it kid," Morgan warned Seaver. "You won't prove him wrong."

"Oh, he can be proven wrong." Emily said. She smiled at him. Reid loved it when she smiled at him. She looked at Reid, "maybe you should let just let it lie this time, Reid."

Garcia couldn't help herself. "What should Reid let lie?" She looked at Seaver with a mischievous look in her eye, "or should I say who?"

"Ashley here," Morgan said, "made the mistake of saying you can prove the existence of miracles."

"Not miracles," Reid said. "She specifically said that you can find evidence of the divine."

"Don't you think you can see reasons to believe in a higher being?"

"People _say _they do, but that isn't proof." Reid said. "People can find signs of what they want to believe."

"And what do you think of miracles, then?"

"The truth is," Reid said,"miracles aren't proof of anything."

"Are you saying, there are no such things as miracles?" Garcia asked.

"No, I'm not saying that at all. The anecdotal evidence is too significant to refute that miracles do exist. But they are not evidence or proof of a higher being. Evidence and proof are in fact counter to the most important ingredient necessary for the existence of any miracle."

"And what would that be, Genius-man?"

"Faith. The evidence of things not seen, or at least belief in something that seems either unlikely or impossible."

"Is that all you need for a miracle? A little faith?" Garcia asked.

"A …" Reid hesitated. "Friend of mine," his sponsor in his 12-step program, actually," says when you have faith and you walk into a room where it is so dark you cannot tell if there is a floor to walk on, one of two things will happen. Either there will be solid ground beneath your feet or you will be taught how to fly."

"Wow," Emily said.

"What?" Reid asked.

"I never thought Dr. Reid, paragon of reason and firm atheist, would talk about faith like that."

"I'm not an atheist. I have trouble believing in a higher power, but that doesn't make me an atheist. The more accurate term is agnostic."

Emily smiled at him and had a look of contentment as he continued to Reid would give anything if she would look at him like that right. He would give anything for her to open her eyes again.

He looked at her now. She looked so still. She could die, he thought. And there's nothing I can do right now. He was holding her hand, tears were rolling his cheek, and he lowered his head. His other hand lightly fingered his two year pin. Two years he was clean when he got that pin. It was the closest thing to a religious symbol he wore. He closed his eyes and said," Please God, don't let her die. I don't know if I believe in you, but please don't let her die. Not now."

He knew he was praying, but he had no clue to who or what. What he did know, was he felt Emily's hand squeeze his. His eyes flung open in surprise. Emily's eyes were half open. She swallowed once."I never thought I would see Dr. Reid praying. Am I dreaming?"

"I just hope I'm not. I want you to be alive for real."

"I guess you get your wish."

"Thank God."

"Careful Dr. Reid, you're starting to sound like a man of faith."

"I'm really not."

"All evidence to the contrary."

"Emily, " he started to explain his quasi-prayer didn't mean he was a man of faith. She put her fingers on his mouth.

"Not now Reid. I have a lot of questions to answer, and I'm sure I'm going to be in all kinds of trouble."

"It'll be all right. I mean, now that we know what was happening..."

"I'm not finished Reid. You asked me to a movie."

"You mean Solaris?"

"Yeah. When I'm done answering questions, would you like to see a movie?"

"Solaris isn't playing anymore."

"Any movie will do."

Reid smiled. "That won't get you out of the hospital any sooner."

"After they let me out then."

"Yeah. I'd like that."

"Good' Emily closed her eyes and had a contented smile on her face.

"Don't go to sleep Emily. Not yet."

"Don't worry Dr. Reid. I'm going anywhere. Not anymore.

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_A/N: I think this would have been an awesome ending to the episode. _


End file.
